Two more space-related hearings are on the schedule for subcommittees of the House Science and Technology Committee this week and next. On Thursday afternoon the investigations and oversight subcommittee is holding a hearing on “Independent Audit of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration”. Scheduled witnesses are:
- Hon. Thomas Howard, Acting Inspector General, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- Mr. Daniel Murrin, Partner, Assurance and Advisory Business Services, Ernst & Young LLP
- Hon. Elizabeth Robinson, Chief Financial Officer, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Next Thursday, December 10, the space and aeronautics subcommittee will hold a hearing on “Decisions on the Future Direction and Funding for NASA: What Will They Mean for the U.S. Aerospace Workforce and Industrial Base?”. This appears to be the third and final in a series of hearings that subcommittee chairperson Gabrielle Giffords mentioned earlier this month, after a global space capabilities hearing November 19 and the safety hearing scheduled for tomorrow. The lineup for the December 10 hearing:
- Dr. Richard Aubrecht, Vice President, Strategy and Technology, Moog Inc.
- Ms. Marion C. Blakey, President and Chief Executive Officer, Aerospace Industries AssociationÂ
- Mr. David Thompson, President, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
- Mr. A. Thomas Young, Lockheed Martin Corporation (Ret.) Â
To paraphrase Sir Humphrey in Yes Minister (or Yes Prime Minister) “Holding hearings is an essential key to preserving the status quo”. (or something like that)
Robert G. Oler